In Brief: Dec. 3, 2001

TEEN SMOKING The awareness of health risks and the prospect of parental punishment rarely seem to deter middle and high school students from experimenting with cigarettes. But a Florida program has found that the threat of legal penalties can reduce teen smoking up to 40%. According to a study published in Health, Education & Behavior, in Florida counties where underage smoking laws are strictly enforced and penalties include being fined or losing a driver's license, students were far less likely to smoke than were students in lower-enforcement areas.

FEEDING MIND AND BODY Sibling spats at the dinner table might be annoying to parents, but they may also be important for child development. British psychologist David Cowell says that regular banter with brothers and sisters in the presence of their parents can teach kids self-assertion, negotiation and compromise. His study of 1,000 families found that mealtime is often the only chance children get to practice cooperative and confrontational skills.

TODDLERS AND TELEVISION The American Academy of Pediatrics warns that TV can negatively affect early brain development, especially for kids 2 and younger, when learning to talk and play is so crucial. Despite that kind of caution, the Children's Hospital Medical Center of Cincinnati has found that 40% of 2-year-olds watch more than 3 hr. of TV a day.

--By Lisa McLaughlin